The Vancouver Island marmot is Canadas most endangered endemic mammal and one of the rarest mammals in the world. Although conservation breeding and reintroduction programs have given this species a fighting chance, it continues to teeter on the brink of extinction.

Roughly the size of a house cat, these members of the rodent family are extremely sociable, often seen greeting one another with nose-touching and play fighting. When in danger, the Vancouver Island marmot makes a piercing whistle sound, earning it the nickname whistle pig. These animals build burrows for giving birth, hiding from danger and hibernating from early October to late April. When spring arrives, they often have to tunnel through several metres of snow that have covered their dens.